Senior SEO Specialist

As a community, the University of Rochester is defined by a deep commitment to Meliora - Ever Better. Embedded in that ideal are the values we share: equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect, and accountability. Together, we will set the highest standards for how we treat each other to ensure our community is welcoming to all and is a place where all can thrive.

Job Location (Full Address):

220 Hutchison Rd, Rochester, New York, United States of America, 14620

Opening:

Worker Subtype:

Regular

Time Type:

Full time

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

Department:

900115 Web Services, URMC

Work Shift:

UR - Day (United States of America)

Range:

UR URG 111

Compensation Range:

$64,200.00 - $96,200.00

The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job's compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.

Responsibilities:

Serves as designated SEO authority for the Medical Center and affiliates, establishing standards, guiding prioritization, and influencing decisions that impact content discoverability, trust, and performance across digital properties.

Develops, executes, and measures search engine optimization strategies for websites, including affiliated sites. Ensures our digital content is discoverable, credible, and optimized for evolving search landscapes - including AI Overviews, zero-click searches, and holistic search experiences.

Partners closely with performance marketing, digital content, and social marketing teams or individuals, as well as central marketing and communications team(s), to align organic and paid strategies for maximum reach, efficiency, and ROI. Works across content, design, development, and IT teams to keep SEO at the forefront of our web strategy - all while balancing the accuracy and trust that our consumers expect.

Essential Functions:

Strategy & Planning

• Serves as the designated SEO authority for the Medical Center and affiliates, establishing standards, guiding prioritization, and influencing decisions that impact content discoverability, trust, and performance across digital properties.

• Integrates modern SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) best practices - on-page, off-page, and technical - into content creation, design, and site architecture.

• Builds and maintains topic clusters and pillar pages to strengthen topical authority.

• Coordinates with designated workgroups to align organic and paid strategies for full-funnel impact and data insights, ensuring alignment with central marketing and digital teams and resources.

• Co-leads the evaluation, selection, and ongoing optimization of SEO tools and platforms in partnership with Analytics and IT, ensuring solutions integrate with enterprise analytics, privacy, and technology standards. Manages SEO-related tool investments, evaluates cost-to-value, and demonstrates ROI through performance reporting and efficiency gains.

• Owns SEO standards and final recommendations for content, technical implementation, and structured data, with escalation paths defined for governance or compliance review.

• Serves as the SEO decision authority within the division, aligning with enterprise-level SEO governance where applicable.

• Develops scalable SEO frameworks, templates, and standards that support multiple sites, departments, and affiliated entities within a complex digital ecosystem.

• Contributes to enterprise roadmaps for search, analytics, and content discoverability.

Optimization & Technical Execution

• Performs regular keyword research and competitive analysis to identify gaps and opportunities.

• Optimizes content for both traditional and zero-click/AI search results including featured snippets, knowledge panels, and SGE.

• Uses structured data and schema markup to improve search visibility.

• Manages link-building strategies in line with specified content credibility and compliance.

• Oversees technical SEO elements such as site architecture, crawlability, page speed, structured data, and indexation to ensure optimal search engine performance and support high-quality content delivery.

Partnership & Governance

• Works closely with content creators, clinicians, and subject matter experts to ensure content aligns with search intent, drives engagement, and meets standards for accessibility, accuracy, and trustworthiness. Researches, analyzes, makes recommendations, and implements changes as needed.

• Develops, creates, and provides SEO guidelines and training to writers, designers, and developers in alignment with enterprise solutions.

• Coordinates SEO strategies with paid search and social teams for integrated search performance.

• Partners with key stakeholders to optimize content, ensuring it aligns with community interests, meets SEO best practices, and maximizes reach, engagement, and trust.

• Partners with clinical, legal, and compliance stakeholders to ensure SEO strategies support E-E-A-T, medical accuracy, regulatory standards, and institutional risk tolerance.

• Balances optimization goals with patient trust, content governance, and institutional reputation.

Monitoring & Analysis

• Uses SEO and analytics tools to measure site health, crawl errors, and organic performance.

• Using data gathered from use of analytic tools, analyzes and reports on KPIs, identifies trends, and delivers clear, actionable insights to stakeholders.

• Adjusts tactics based on algorithm updates, AI changes, and user behavior.

• Monitors and evaluates visibility, citation, and brand presence within AI-generated and zero-click search experiences, translating insights into content and technical optimization recommendations.

• Develops testing frameworks to evaluate content performance in AI-driven search experiences and adjusts strategies accordingly.

Other duties as assigned

Minimum Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Digital Marketing, Communications, or a related field required;

• Master's degree preferred

• 5 years of experience working with SEO required;

• Experience managing enterprise-level SEO in complex environments required;

• Healthcare or higher education experience preferred;

• Or equivalent combination of education and experience required

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Expertise with technical SEO, on-page/off-page tactics, and AI/SGE implications preferred.

• Demonstrated success driving organic growth through topic authority and E-E-A-T required.

• Proficiency with SEO and analytics tools (Google Search Console, SEMrush, GA4) required.

• Understanding of web development principles, Semantic HTML, CSS basics, and schema required.

• Strong skills in data analysis, reporting, and presenting SEO value to non-technical stakeholders required.

• Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills required.

• Strong attention to detail required.

• Excellent analytical and strategic mindset, with the ability to translate complex data into trends, insights, and actionable and strategic recommendations required.

The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving an inclusive and welcoming culture to advance the University's Mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create - and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law (Protected Characteristics). This commitment extends to non-discrimination in the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates, for all persons consistent with our values and based on applicable law.

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Learn. Discover. Heal. Create.

Located in western New York, Rochester is our namesake and our home. One of the world's leading research universities, Rochester has a long tradition of breaking boundaries-always pushing and questioning, learning and unlearning. We transform ideas into enterprises that create value and make the world ever better.

If you're looking for a career in higher education or health care, the University of Rochester may offer the perfect opportunity for your background and goals.

At the University of Rochester, we are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving an inclusive and welcoming culture and are united by a strong commitment to be ever better-Meliora. It is an ideal that informs our shared mission to ensure all members of our community feel safe, respected, included, and valued.